An Unexpected Warrior
by Piratecheif
Summary: Bailey Montoya fought for her life on her thirteenth birthday and succeeded. Now orphaned by a bad blood Bailey is taken in by a young arbitrator named Gra who is tasked with turning the young plump human into a pet who can fight for itself. Little did they know that their journey together would morph over the years from fear and burden into love and heart break.
1. Meet the Family

Bailey Montoya lay comfortably on her family's living room couch with a spoon in her mouth and a jar of peanut butter on her stomach. Her eyes lazily drifted from the small TV she was currently watching to her left arm, studying the contrast of her naturally tanned skin and the dirty cream of the cushions that had once been white.

"Mom!" she shouted around the spoon, a little dribble of saliva escaping her mouth and running down her chubby neck.

"She's sewing," came the voice of her little brother from the spot next to her. His face scrunched with disgust as he eyed the peanut buttery spit she had yet to remove.

Bailey strained her ears for a moment before relaxing as they were met with the consistent rattling of her mother's sewing machine. Looking back towards her brother she noticed he was still eyeing her neck with contempt. Boredom drove her need to bother him more and she relaxed her jaw just enough so more spit leaked out the edges of her mouth. Green nearly instantly tinted his cheeks and he gagged a bit before screaming, "Mom! Bailey's being gross!"

Bailey chuckled and finally wiped away her mess.

"Elijah's lying!" she shouted as well, grunting as she attempted to sit up. Her chunky belly protested the movement, separating into rolls and squeezing together in the most uncomfortable way.

"Fatty," Elijah growled in annoyance.

"Bird beak," Bailey retorted after a huff of breath. She'd successfully gotten into a sitting position. She was still bored though. Perhaps something salty would entertain her?

Elijah rubbed his pointed nose for a moment before settling his dark eyes back onto the TV.

"So your birthday's tomorrow," he began after a couple minutes of silence.

"I'll finally be a teenager," replied the almost-thirteen-year-old.

Mussing her curls a bit Bailey finally found the energy to stand up and make the short trip into the adjoining kitchen. Putting away the peanut butter and dropping her spoon in the sink she then grabbed a bag of chips before sitting back on the couch. Elijah rolled his eyes and scoffed.

"All you ever do is eat," he growled before yanking the chips away and jumping off the couch.

"Hey! Those are mine!"

"Stop being so fat!"

"Stop being so skinny!"

Elijah stood to his full height of five feet and puffed out his chest.

"This is why you don't have friends! Fatty fat Mcfat face!"

Tears began to form in Bailey's eyes and she clenched her chubby fingers into fists. With a rush of anger she launched herself off the couch and swung out.

"I have friends!" she screeched, becoming even angrier when she'd failed to hit her target.

Elijah laughed and ran away with Bailey hot on his heels around the coffee table that sat in the middle of their living room. Shouting and name calling soon led to a rather nasty curse flying from Bailey's mouth out of frustration and both froze as soon as she said it, terror forming in their eyes as a deathly silence fell over them. Soon enough, they heard the tell-tale sounds of heavy boots hitting hard wood floors and Bailey's hands became clammy with dread. The door that led to their parent's bedroom swung open and a man stepped out into the short hallway that led into the kitchen. Dark eyes landed on them both and his bushy eyebrows came together in anger. The mouth nearly hidden in his burly black beard was set in a deep frown and his massive shoulders rose with a deep growl.

"Bailey," came his impossibly deep and menacing voice. The tree trunks he called legs brought him closer to the cowering girl.

"Dad," she squeaked, and Elijah slowly backed away. He wanted no part of this.

Their father gave her a stern look, crossing his massive arms over his equally massive chest. Bailey started to cry.

"I'm s-sorry!" she sobbed, falling on her butt and halfway into a fettle position. "I'm sorry!"

Bailey sobbed for a moment on the floor, not daring to look at her father out of fear and shame. It wasn't until she felt two strong hands gently grab her waist that she lifted her head. With what seemed like no effort the enormous man lifted his daughter onto his chest and allowed her to wrap her arms around his neck. Soothingly he patted her back as she rode out the rest of her emotional outburst.

"Bailey," he began in a hushed tone. "Why would you say such a thing to your brother?"

Bailey let herself relax as she realized she was not truly in trouble, enjoying her father's lightly accented voice. Elijah was now completely out of the room, probably hiding in their shared bedroom.

"He called me fat," she mumbled against the thick muscle of his shoulder, earning a deep rumble of laughter that shook both their bodies.

"You take after your mother," he said simply, and Bailey knew it to be true. Her mother was a very rounded woman, all hips and no height. She sometimes wondered how the two of them had paired up what with the enormous differences in body type. Her father was the biggest man she'd ever seen, and not in the fat way. His skin was darkened from hard labor out in fields during his childhood and it could be argued he got his muscles the same way. Her mother however was very pale, short, and thick in the non-muscley way. The only thing the two seemed to have in common was the pitch color of their hair and eyes.

"He said I had no friends," she continued, now annoyed with the sting in her eyes from crying.

"I am your friend."

"You don't count."

Another rumble of laughter and then she was set back down on the ground.

"Do not take his words to heart love, he only wants your attention."

Bailey didn't reply, opting instead to watch her father shrug on his heavy jacket and pick up his crossbow from beside the door.

"I am going out while there is still a bit of daytime," he declared after putting on a thick knit cap her mother had made him. "I might be later for dinner, your mother already knows."

With that he headed out the door as Bailey watched his broad back disappear around the house.

It wouldn't be until hours later that Bailey realized she would never see her father again.

**A/N: Phew! Oh my god it's been forever since I've written…well anything that wasn't a stupid college research paper! Anybody miss me?**

**Any who, back to business. First things first. I apologize for any sloppiness, especially the rushed ending. It's literally been almost an entire year since I've updated anything, and I decided to start something new before getting back to the old. **

**I can't really use college as an excuse much now that I'm not playing rugby this semester (which took up sooooo much of my time) but I still have English papers to write, and they severely kill my writing buzz.**

**I'd also like to note this. I use to be a real review junky, but now I've finally realized I truly enjoy writing. Don't get me wrong, reviews are great and definitely welcomed, but I've come to discover (after my long break) that writing just brings me so much content by itself.**

**Now! For my last note. Yes, this is a Human/Yautja romance, but actually a very complicated one. A loooooove triangle to be exact, and not one you'd typically expect. I've always wanted to write a Predator fic, and now here's my chance to do a super original one! **

**Hope you all enjoy the ride!**

**I'M BACK BABY!**


	2. From Death Comes Life

**A/N: Dear lord this chapter was hard to write! I hate how it turned out, but oh well I had to get it out of the way. I'm tired. Thank you so much everyone for your support so far! At the end of the chapter I've written a glossary for you new Predator fan fic readers out there!**

"Bailey please eat your green beans," her mother lightly chided as she scooped another helping onto her plate.

"Can I have some more mom?" Elijah asked sweetly.

Their mother smiled and spooned more green beans onto her son's plate. Bailey only rolled her eyes at Elijah's smug smirk. He was such a little brat…

"Dad is really late," Bailey stated as she eyed the clock and shoveled more pork into her mouth.

"Is he trying to shoot something in the dark?" Elijah asked as a follow up.

"He's probably working in the shed," their mother offered. "I'll check on him after you two go to bed."

The two siblings pouted for a moment before finishing their meal and starting their evening routine. Turns were taken in the shower due to their singular household bathroom, teeth were brushed, and kisses were given as they bid their mother a good night. There was little fighting and their mother smiled proudly as the two remained civil for the rest of the night. As a reward she tucked them each in carefully, brushing aside black curls and promising as much cake as they wanted during Bailey's birthday. Elijah looked down excitedly at his sister from the top portion of the bunk they shared and Bailey returned it. The cake was usually very small due to their financial standing and normally only fed each family member two pieces. Their mother's promise however told that this year would be different.

"What do you think you'll get tomorrow?" Elijah questioned as he traced patterns on the ceiling with his eyes.

Bailey silently contemplated her answer. She'd never get what she really wanted on holidays, she'd come to terms with this fact a few years ago. Her family was poor. Not too poor, but poor enough to make the two children look on in envy as their friends pulled out ham and cheese lunchables at school. That was a luxury they just couldn't afford. Not even once a month.

"Maybe some new clothes," she mused, thinking about the goodwill they often visited.

"Yeah, you need'm," he snickered at his own fat joke.

Bailey rolled her eyes and looked out the window across the room. Their house was on the outskirts of a forest and nearly a mile away from the road their driveway led to. It was very secluded and almost frightening. Bailey never liked the area they lived in during the dark. She eyed the bare trees as squirrels ran across them and knocked off snow, the branches pointy and menacing. Closing her eyes she thought of her father, hoping as a child would that the scary forest would return him safely.

"Bailey! Bailey! Wake up! Dear god wake up!"

Bailey's eyes snapped open with fear as she was shaken from her dreams.

"What, stupid?!" she yelled, prepared to lash out with her fists when he continued shaking her.

"M-Mom's not in the house and d-dad's not back yet! Nobody's here Bailey, I'm scared!"

Bailey rolled towards her brother and focused when his panicked tone finally registered. Elijah's cheeks were flushed and streaked with tears as his eyes moved frantically from her face to their bedroom door.

"Nobody's here?" she finally questioned. Looking out the window confirmed it wasn't even close to daytime so her parents should have been cozied up in their own bed.

"I went to the bathroom and wanted to see if dad was back. They're not there Bailey, they're not there!" His tears renewed Elijah gripped her night shirt and silently pleaded her to comfort him.

"Maybe they're in the shed," she tried to convince him though fear soon entered her voice as well. "Go check."

"BY MYSELF?!" he screeched, his voice cracking magnificently. "No Bailey come with me!" He started sobbing erratically. "Come with me, come with me, come with me!" He punctuated each request with a tug to her shirt and a stomp to the floor. His face reddened even further with lack of breath and his eyes swelled with salty tears.

Bailey couldn't answer him without sobbing herself. Elijah was instilling more fear than the actual situation, so without a word she grabbed his hand and climbed out of bed. Together they ran through the house and out the door, neglecting coats and shoes with their haste. The feel of snow against their bare feet sent shock waves through them both, effectively slowing them down and shallowing their breath.

"Th-the shed, l-let's check it first," Bailey stuttered and blamed the cold for her tied tongue.

Elijah nodded and with a sudden burst of adrenaline ran ahead and around the corner of the house. Fear struck Bailey at suddenly being alone but she was unable to run. Instead she slowly began tip-toeing in the same direction, ears pealed for any sound that might warrant danger. She was not prepared however for the sound of retching and liquid splattering across the ground.

"Elijah!" she called out, abandoning caution and sprinting to aid her brother.

She found him just outside their family's rickety wooden shed on his hands knees emptying his stomach. Landing harshly next to him Bailey placed a hand on his back as they both tried to catch their breath.

"Elijah! What's wrong?!"

Elijah sobbed and gagged once more but nothing came out and Bailey tried hard not to look at the undigested green beans splattered across the snow. Squeezing his eyes shut as tightly as possible Elijah let out a scream, dipping his head lower and grasping the snowy grass beneath him. Bailey shot back from him at the sudden outburst and her eyes widened in terror.

"DAD!" he screamed this time, voice hoarse and broken as he fell to his side into a fetal position.

Bailey whipped her head towards the shed and stared for a long time, torn between staying with her brother and going to see just what exactly he'd seen. Gritting her teeth she leapt from her spot on the ground and tore through the back yard. Tears blurred her vision and she tripped a couple times but she almost didn't need to see to realize what was in the shed. The smell hit her first, sickening and heavy. Without so much as a warning bile rose in her throat and she began vomiting against the door frame. When she was able to raise her head once more, Bailey was met with a sight she'd never forget.

Blood.

Blood was everywhere.

The shed only contained power tools, now covered in blood, and a small table.

On top of it was her dad's legs.

Bailey vomited again.

"…ailey…." came her brother's voice. She could barely hear it over the blood rushing through her ears.

"Bailey…" he said louder. Turning her head she raised her wide eyes to his where he stood just outside the shed.

"He's dead," she choked, dry heaving a bit before stumbling away from the horror.

Elijah nodded and they fell into each other. Gripping tightly the two siblings sunk to the ground and cried.

"Where's mom?" Bailey sobbed into his shoulder.

"I don't know," he answered. "All I saw was…was dad's head he-"

He squeezed tighter and Bailey bit into his shirt, trying to gain some control over herself and failing.

"We have to check the house," he finally said. Their bodies shook violently from the cold as the shock began ebbing away. "We have to find mom."

Bailey knew he was right but didn't want to move. All she wanted to do was cower in a corner and wish it all away. She wasn't given the chance however as Elijah stood and grabbed her hand. As he led the way Bailey briefly wondered when her little brother had gotten so brave. Here he was at ten years old taking care of her and all she could think about was running away. Why couldn't she be more like him?

The journey back to the house didn't take nearly as long as Bailey had hoped and soon they were back inside, ears strained and breath held in hopes of sensing anything out of place. A thud was heard from their parent's bedroom and the sibling pair jumped. Bailey began to cry once more but Elijah shushed her, tears forming in his own eyes but controlling his sobs.

"Hide in the cabinet under the sink," he whispered with a tremble in his voice.

"But Elijah I-"

"Shut your fat face and do it!" he snarled, pushing her into the kitchen and making sure she followed his order.

Bailey squeezed into the cabinet and watched as her brother quickly scanned the room. With a final nod he knelt down and gave her a stern glare.

"Stay here, I'm gonna call 911."

"But the phone's in mom and dad's room!"

"I know, now shut up and stay here!"

Bailey remained quiet and sniffled, silently pleading her brother to stay with her. Instead of complying Elijah leaned in and gave his sister a quick peck on the cheek before closing the cabinet door.

Bailey waited with baited breath and her body trembled in fear and cold. She couldn't hear anything outside her own heart beat and the silence was driving her mad. Was someone in their house? Was mom still alive? Did Elijah call yet? Oh god, what if someone got him? What if he was hurt? What if he was _dead?_ What if-

"BAILEY!"

Bailey kicked the cabinet door open and stepped out just as Elijah came tearing down the hallway. She watched, stunned as he cowered against the fridge to her left.

"MONSTER!" he screeched and tried to become one with the kitchen appliance. "BAILEY IT'S COMING!"

Before she had the chance to question his insane exclamations a growl rumbled through the dark hallway followed by several clicks. Bailey whipped her head in the direction of the sound as heavy, yet padded footsteps echoed towards her. When the owner of it all stepped into the light, Bailey wet herself.

It really was a monster, tall and broad and looked like a nightmare incarnate. Claws scraped their hard wood floors and walls as the creature leaned heavily against them. Its skin was that of a lizard's and its hair was bound tightly in what could only be described as dreadlocks. But all of that was lost on the small girl as all she could do was stare into its eyes. Small, sharp, and glaring with the kind of blood lust even the movies couldn't capture. The creature took another step forward and stumbled into the kitchen against another wall. Something green oozed from between its fingers as it palmed its hip, indicating an injury.

_THUMP_

Bailey jumped at the sound and saw in her peripheral what had caused the noise. It was her dad's crossbow, jostled to the floor by the monster's heavy stumbling. Their dad's crossbow…their way _out_.

The creature growled and gained her attention once more. A blade was in its other hand and was already dripping blood…her _parent's_ blood…

"_Ooman…"_ came the monster's voice in a rough guttural rasp. _"Pyode amedha…"_

A sharp bark left its mouth and the crab like appendages flared as it stood to its full height.

_"Worthless."_

As soon as the English word left its mouth the creature leapt towards her, teeth bared and claws poised to slash. Bailey reacted immediately with a shout and jumped sideways. The monster landed just centimeters away in a crouch, spinning on the ball of its foot and preparing to spring again. Bailey landed on her side and her chubby arms flailed for her only chance at survival. She had just enough time to grab the crossbow and roll onto her back before the monster roared its next attack. Bailey screamed right back shutting her eyes tightly and squeezing the weapon's trigger.

The bow shot and Elijah screamed.

There was a sickening crack, a heavy thud, and then silence.

Bailey quivered from her spot on the floor and finally opened her eyes to stare at what she'd just accomplished. The creature was dead and lying just beyond her feet. Not needing to see anything else she quickly stood and made a mad dash to Elijah. The two embraced each other for the second time that night.

"Bailey!" he shouted into her chest and continued to repeat it as she nearly squeezed the breath out of him. In turn she kissed the top of his head and took in several shallow breaths. It was over…it was over…it was-

"_Pauk!"_

The two siblings started at the exclamation and Bailey immediately jumped up in front of her brother with the crossbow raised. There was no arrow in it now but the weight of it in her hands was better than nothing. Standing in their open doorway was another creature, though this one was wearing a mask and strange crisscrossing material covering its chest. It towered over the dead one, bending to check its pulse and then straightening once more, eyeing the two children.

"_Ooman…"_ it began as it took a step forward.

Bailey screamed at it and lashed out with the crossbow. This earned a tilt from the creatures head and a few more steps forward. Both children sobbed when it became apparent they had no more defenses. Stopping just one step away the creature seemed to regard them. Elijah hid his face against his knees and Bailey trembled in her wet pajama pants.

"GO AWAY!" she screamed, not caring that it wasn't the best idea to try and startle the monster in case it decided to retaliate.

A deep rumble answered her plea and the creature's shoulders shook. It was laughing.

_"Yeyinde,"_it simply said before reaching out and placing a massive hand on Bailey's shoulder.

She had no time to react before it gave a gentle squeeze and the world went black.

**Ooman = Human**

**Pyode amedha = Soft Meat**

**Pauk = Fuck**

**Yeyinde = Brave one**


	3. A Bitch's Decision

Gra studied the trembling human before him. The young male human seemed to be going into shock as his eyes remained locked on the female child now swung over Gra's shoulder. Clicking in curiosity he studied the child's tanned skin and dark spiraling hair before concluding him to be related to his similarly looking savior. Shrugging his shoulder a bit Gra winced at the wet material of the girl's clothing smearing against his chest. The mess would have to be taken care of later, for now he had a report to make. Turning away from the male Gra bent and grabbed the yautja corpse by its mandibles before dragging it out the door.

_Bad bloods,_ he thought with a sneer. _They're getting weaker and weaker it seems._

"Ba…Bailey!" whimpered the child but Gra paid him no mind. His business lied only with the female.

Leaving the small home Gra dragged the dead bad blood through the snow, dreading the cleanup he'd have to do so as not to leave behind any DNA. A thorough sweep for yautja blood was not how he wanted to spend his evening. Glaring at the child over his shoulder he lightly poked her with his mandible. And now that she'd killed his prey he was sure the other arbitrators would never let him live it down. _Damn oomans…_

His cloaked ship was parked in a clearing near the middle of the forest and he quickly sent a signal from his wrist gauntlet to the medical bay so his companion would know it was almost time to leave. A hissing sound emanated from the other side of the ship and Gra openly cursed. _Damn new ship with its misplaced doors…_

Finally rounding on the entrance Gra was met with the cheeky upturned mandibles of his assigned doctor.

"Have fun?" the medically professioned yautja queried.

"Shut it Nar'kili," Gra huffed and as he shoved the human child into his arms. "She's your responsibility now." And then he was off to properly store the bad blood corpse.

"An ooman?" Nar'kili clicked to himself as he held the unconscious child at arm's length. "Is she a souvenir?" he called to Gra's retreating back.

Gra ignored him and continued out of sight. Nar'kili only shrugged and carried the other species to the medical bay.

"What do you mean she's my responsibility?" Gra calmly questioned, though inside he wanted to explode. The large screen his attention was directed on flickered once before clearing again. Bad signal.

"You heard your orders Gra," came the gruff aged voice of another yautja. "The council has decided to place the ooman child in your care. She is not yet old enough to receive the honor of becoming a warrior. It is like you said, the kill was an accident, but even so, if the potential is there we would like to see it flourish."

Gra took a deep breath to try and calm his burning rage. How dare the high council saddle him with a child. An _ooman_ for Paya's sake! It seems this was just yet another experiment the elder yautjas wanted to dabble in. In Gra's opinion the council's recent actions and decisions were a joke. Lately many orders revolved around curiosity that was determined to break down every traditional rule held in place. Gra remembered his mother telling him of a time when oomans were not even tolerated being the pathetic species they were. He still believed them to be pathetic, and this child would be no different.

"May I have permission to ask who exactly suggested this order?" he said instead, though he had an idea as to whom.

"Kai'ne," he answered simply and Gra's eye twitched.

Of course it was Kai'ne, that spiteful bitch. She seemed to enjoy his misery more than rutting her mates into the arms of Cetanu. She was the youngest member ever to be put on the high council since the beginning of their clan, only thirty years older than Gra himself who was one hundred and fifty in human years, but she had a damn good reason to be there. She was strong, almost abnormally so even on female standards. Gra knew them to be the superior in strength among their species, but messing with Kai'ne was an almost immediate death sentence. She was mean, not outrageously so, but her reputation definitely preceded her. Only the luckiest (or perhaps unluckiest) of males ever mated with her, and even fewer survived the event. Gra hoped he was never propositioned. To turn down a female without the condition of having a life mate warranted a severe beating, even so far as death. With Kai'ne, there was only death.

"I give you my word, the child will be trained and taken care of," he submitted with a fist to his chest and a deep bow. A chatter of amusement was heard and Gra nearly growled. He was sure that female was the only thing in the universe with the ability to drive him into the life of a bad blood. If it meant he was able to kill her he might just consider it.

The screen went blank soon after and Gra stomped angrily out of the communications room. Nar'kili was just outside the sliding door holding the ooman child's soiled pants.

"Clean up time," he supplied sheepishly. He didn't want to anger Gra any further but had to make sure the young arbitrator at least did his job right.

Gra sighed and scratched the top of his large head.

"I know."

Encouraged by the lack of vengeful outburst Nar'kili tried to lighten the mood.

"And maybe grab some of the ooman child's thin garb. She will need it for our journey."

Gra just gave him the finger, the only thing he'd ever allowed himself to pick up from humans.

**A/N: Just in case you guys don't know how to pronounce the yautja names, here's some help.**

**Gra = gr-ah**

**Nar'kili = nar-kee-lee**

**Kai'ne = k-eye-nay**

**So yeah, I actually thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter! I had a sudden rush to write and ended up writing the whole chapter in one sitting! It's short, but I have to sleep for my new college classes. Sorry for any grammar mistakes, and I hope you guys enjoy! Here is the glossary.**

**Paya = Yautja god**

**Cetanu = God of Death**


	4. So Many Nuisances

**A/N: It has come to my intention that the time breaks I've been putting in haven't been showing up, so now I will resort to XXXXX as a time break. **

**IMPORTANT: So, as you know the yautja language consists of mainly clicks and such. Bailey will not be unable to understand any of this. I was originally going to put all yautja conversation she didn't understand in italics but that would be way too much. So now all dialogue is normal unless I say otherwise in author's notes. Any who, back to the story!**

"How's the female?**" **Gra questioned Nar'kili as he set aside his equipment in the armory. He'd searched for the boy before the cleanup but it seemed he'd left the area completely. At least the child knew not to stay and freeze to death.

"She's suffered a minor clavicle fracture, most likely from a fall. Nothing serious though."

They were walking now through the small ship's narrow hallways and into the medical bay. On the only bed in the room lay the child. Gra stepped closer and studied the sling on her right arm.

"I wasn't sure if our medicine would be compatible with her system, so she'll probably be very sore when she wakes up."

Gra nodded and eyed her some more, studying her chunky arms and legs. It was going to take a lot of work to turn the little plush human into a hardened warrior, but it was still his job to do so and he wouldn't fail. His opinion of humans would not get in the way of his honor.

"Alert me when she wakes."

He waited for Nar'kili's nod before leaving.

XXXXX

Bailey came back to consciousness a few hours later. Cracking open her eyes she found herself without the energy to keep them like that. They were puffy anyway, it was easier to keep them closed. Testing other parts of her body she wriggled her tongue a bit and winced at the awful cotton mouth sensation. Flexing her fingers she found her left side to be okay but her right slightly constricted. Alarms went off in her head immediately and a rush of adrenaline allowed her eyes to fully snap open. A soft light met her panicked gaze as she found herself staring up into a smooth domed ceiling. Her breath became shallow as she tried to sit up but a sharp pain ran through her and she cried out in shock. Screwing her eyes shut she panted and tried sitting up again but the pain was too much. A shuffle caught her attention and Bailey whipped her head to the source, then screamed in terror.

It was another monster. It was walking towards her. It was going to kill her. It was-

Bailey yelped and rolled off the side of the bed she was laying on. Her collarbone burned and she yelled in agony at the motion but she had to get away, even if it meant kissing the ground and possibly furthering her injury. But the impact never came as she felt arms under her knees and back. The creature was in a crouch, having caught her with lightening reflexes before she hit the ground. Bailey screamed again due to the proximity and the monster reeled back from the sound. It clicked something at her but she ignored it and started flailing. All the jostling was causing her extreme pain but she found herself not caring. All she wanted to do was get away from the monster, the reptilian monster with its claws and fangs and teeth and clicking and purring and-

Purring?

Bailey halted her thrashing in shock as she stared up into the creature's eyes. It was looking at her with what she assumed was supposed to be a soft expression and could feel vibrations from its chest rumble through her body as it continued the action. Bailey's erratic breathing evened out as she listened to the sound. It was strangely calming, but her guard was still up. Her eyes wildly searched its face as she tried to keep her thought process from turning to mush with panic. Was it trying to soothe her? Tell her it wasn't trying to hurt her? Bailey wasn't sure, but the pain in her collarbone and arm became more evident as the adrenaline ebbed away. It clicked again but Bailey just gave him a wary look and stiffened when the creature rose and placed her back on the bed. She wouldn't fight it, but she sure as hell didn't trust it. Bailey was in a sitting position now and the creature stepped back, holding his hands in a very human gesture that she recognized as surrender. It wasn't the kind a robber would use when threatened by a police man, but the kind a friend would use when having over stepped a boundary. His shoulders were high and his arms slack, and Bailey could feel the tickle of amusement at how ridiculous it made his large form look. Whether she genuinely wanted to laugh or the shock was making her maniacal she wasn't sure, but either way she welcomed the distraction. It wasn't quite relief but it was better than panic.

The feeling was crushed when a growl sounded to her right.

Paling Bailey whimpered when the imposing figure of yet another monster entered the room. It was her kidnapper. This one was much bigger, taller, more muscular, and he definitely looked meaner. He growled something to the smaller one and it clicked back, its shoulders shaking in what looked like laughter. Bailey merely shrunk into herself and stared, praying to whatever god was out there this was all a dream.

XXXXX

"I thought I told you to alert me when she woke," Gra growled out to his companion.

"I would have if she'd remained seated. I never knew oomans had so much energy after traumatic experiences."

Gra ignored Nar'kili's crass laughter and looked towards the human who was trying to become one with the medical bed. She stared back with wide eyes and he felt himself grow even more irate. He'd have to teach her that locking eyes for too long signaled a challenge among his species. He was sure to be demoted if not dishonored if his charge ended up smeared across the floors of their clan's main ship. Speaking of which…

"How long until we arrive?" he ventured, referring to the 'mother ship' as humans would call it.

"Mmm, hard to say. It seems they've relocated closer to Prime. Perhaps a week or two," the doctor answered as he made his way to a small computer near the medical bed. The child's eyes followed him curiously but remained silent. Gra felt his spirits lift at the name. Yautja prime, their home world. He couldn't wait to return. It had been too long since he'd been properly…comforted, and this was his last mission before the mating season. He thanked Paya for the lack of bad bloods this year.

"Just track the coordinates and give me an exact time, your approximations are never right," Gra bit out in frustration, now much too excited for the prospect of home to deal with the doctor's quirks. His carefree attitude never ceased to annoy him.

Nar'kili simply chuckled and followed orders. Then with an enthusiastic trill he turned to Gra.

"I was right! A week and a half in ooman days."

"Why must you calculate everything in ooman measurements?" Gra nearly shouted.

"Because it's the only way to get a rise out of you," Nar'kili snickered and Gra nearly punched him.

A whimper caught their attention and both yautja eyed the human. She was poking at her injury.

"How long until she heals?"

"I'd say about a month without medical attention, the fracture is miniscule. However I will research the effects of our medicine on her body. This ship does not have the technology to do so, but I can scan her once we make it back to Prime. If they are compatible she'll be as good as new within a week."

"An ooman week?" Gra sighed in annoyance.

"Indeed."

Clenching his fists Gra turned from him and towards his charge. She was staring again, but this time she didn't look as scared. Walking up to her he reached out and pointed to her chest.

"_Ooman,"_ he stated in words rather than clicks and then pointed to himself. _"Gra."_

The child swallowed and remained silent. Gra sneered and clicked at her.

"What is your name child?"

Again she remained silent with confusion and alarm in her eyes and Nar'kili chuckled in the background.

"This language barrier will get you nowhere," he commented.

"Then insert one of those chips!" Gra roared and caused the female to squeak in surprise. Nar'kili suddenly became serious and he gave Gra a disapproving glare.

"You know she's much too young to have a translator chip implanted. Her brain is not developed enough to handle it and the process would cause severe damage. The earliest I can perform the operation would be when she turns sixteen…in ooman years," he ended and lifted his mandibles to the equivalent of a smirk.

Gra decided he'd had enough of this farce and stormed out the room.

XXXXX

Bailey wanted to cry at the display of aggression the larger monster had displayed and was immensely relieved when he left. The smaller one shook his large head and stepped towards her again. It took all of Bailey's control not to flinch when he reached out and touched her hair. He seemed to study it as he twisted the curls around a claw and then let them spring back into place. His crab like appendages lifted and eyes sparkled in amusement as he did it again, then he placed his head closer and grabbed one of his dreads. He offered it to her, a clear invitation to touch. Bailey hesitated but saw no threat and ultimately decided not to defy the monster who could possibly gut her. Reaching out she let a single finger drag across the pitch black tress and nearly gasped when she found it wasn't hair at all. Growing bolder with curiosity she gently squeezed it and found it was tubular and textured like that of a tire.

The monster chirped and the sound caused Bailey to draw back in slight fear. Her sudden alarm was not lost on the monster and he immediately began to purr. Just as before a sense of calm settled over her and she found her fear slipping away. He sounded just like a cat.

"_Ooman,"_ he spoke after a moment and pointed to her. Bailey wrinkled her brow at the word spoken previously by the larger monster and even the one before him. Was he trying to say human?

"_Nar'kili,"_ he stated pointing to himself, and it suddenly dawned on Bailey that he was introducing himself.

"Nar…kili?" she asked and winced at her own voice. Other than screaming she hadn't said a word and it had taken a serious toll on her throat. The monster trilled and nodded its head before pointing at her again.

"Oh…um, Bailey," she said awkwardly. Though she was no longer panicking like before, Bailey felt as if the unease settled in her stomach was to become a permanent resident. There was still a bit of naïve hope that this was all a dream, but even that seemed to be ebbing away the longer her collarbone throbbed.

"_Baaaaileeeeey," _Nar'kili drug out in his gruff voice as if to test it. "Child."

The English word surprised Bailey and she found herself leaning in.

"You know English? You can talk it?"

Nar'kili nodded his head.

"What about…um, the other guy?" she asked, not wanting to risk offending the creature by calling his companion a monster.

Nar'kili trilled in laughter and shook his head.

"No, Gra not study," he began in broken English and then pointed to himself. "Nar'kili much smarter."

Bailey felt a little better now knowing the monster could speak English, but did that mean anything? Would he treat her any differently? Looking him over Bailey took in his forest green skin that faded to cream on his torso and exposed inner thighs. He was lean, almost like a track runner, but his muscles told of immense hidden strength and control. His claws were black and razor sharp but his eyes were kind. The small dark beads placed low on his massive head signaled no threat, and Bailey found herself hoping to keep it that way.

**A/N: Ugh, this chapter was boring, but oh wells. I promise more interesting things happening in the next chapter! Thank you all for your support!**


	5. Bath Time Bonding

"Human lover," Gra commented snidely as Nar'kili entered the communications room. The smaller yautja merely tilted his head in question. With a roll of his eyes Gra spoke again while continuing to fill out his report of the recent mission. "I heard you purring, it was disgusting."

Nar'kili paid no mind to the insult. He'd become numb to them after the first few years of working with the young, hot blooded arbitrator.

"It was necessary; purring calms young pups, even humans. You must first be aware of the context before assuming such things Gra."

Purring was common place in their society as a signal of interest for mating. Though Nar'kili knew Gra was aware his purring meant no such perversion he never passed up the opportunity to display his contempt of humans, especially when he was able to snub Nar'kili in the process.

Gra only huffed in reply and clicked something under his breath. His typing at the large screen ended as he submitted the report. It was now official; the human was to become a warrior.

XXXXX

Three days passed before Gra could no longer stand the smell. The human child was in tears at her own filth and the large Yautja decided it was time to force some interaction. He growled at Nar'kili who stood near the med bay door, arms crossed laxly as he watched the scene unfold. Bailey wouldn't let Gra near her, let alone touch her. The smaller yautja had refused to help him in every way but as a doctor. He was firm in his belief that in order for Gra to be able to raise her he would need to instill a base of trust ASAP. This included serving her meals (which she refused to eat), ensuring she hydrated (which consisted of eyeing any and all liquid warily) and making sure she was kept clean and groomed. The evidence to his failure sat huddled in the corner of the room as far from him as possible, hair disheveled and clothes soiled with her own feces as she desperately avoided his attempts to give her a bath. She of course was not aware of his intentions (she only squeaked in terror every time he reached out), but Gra didn't know enough English to convey them. The barrier was frustrating to say the least and he'd had enough. It was time to use force.

"Insolent pup, come here!" he roared and stomped towards the cowering child. Bailey in turn screamed and tried to jump up and away. Her escape was foiled as a tree trunk arm wrapped around her middle and affectively knocked the breath out of her. As she wheezed and coughed Nar'kili clicked at Gra disapprovingly. The arbitrator glared back but shifted the child onto his shoulder, wary of her collarbone but gagging in disgust as he came face to face with the source of the awful stench. With a steady trot he left the medical bay as Nar'kili followed behind. It took a while to gain back her senses but once she did Bailey began kicking and screaming with all she had. It was a good thing they'd already made it into the bathing chambers because Gra's impulse to drop her grew stronger with every shriek of rebellion.

A sharp yelp reached Gra and the child immediately grew stiff in his hold. Shifting again he held her like a baby at arm's length and studied her whimpering form. She'd hurt herself again it seemed and Gra couldn't help but roll his eyes. The small ooman would rather be in massive pain than go along cooperatively. The thought gave him pause as he looked down at his young charge. Though she stared back in fear Gra was taken aback by a fire just visible behind those glossy tears. It blazed with a defiance he had yet to see until now and a slight swell of pride blossomed before he squashed it. He would never be proud of this vile burden, she was ooman, and that was fact enough to eliminate any feelings of fondness.

Setting her down Gra immediately restrained her wrists with one of his massive hands. Bailey immediately began twisting in his hold and shrieking as he yanked off her soiled pants and threw them carelessly across the room. Her panic grew tenfold and her breath became even more erratic as she began to cry, shrinking away from his claws as he reached for her shirt.

"I would advise you to try and calm her down," Nar'kili lectured from the doorway. "She may just die of a heart attack if you don't."

Gra paused and let the child squirm herself into exhaustion. It didn't take long, her tubbiness contributing to her lack of stamina, and soon she sat on the cold floor panting, eyes never leaving his. Slowly Gra stood and let go. Bailey immediately kicked herself up against the nearest wall and the large yautja let her. After a few moments he took a few more steps back. The bathing chamber wasn't large, just like the other rooms, and only contained a large, square, metal tub and a rinsing station that was the equivalent to a human's open shower room. He stepped back to the tub and flipped open a square panel on one of the sides to reveal several buttons. Clicking a few he continued to stare at the child as it began to fill with their regular bathing chemicals from a large hole set high on the inside of the tub. Nar'kili clicked a bit but was ultimately ignored once again. Once filled to an appropriate amount it automatically shut off. Gra pointed to Bailey and then to the tub, splashing some water for emphasis as he tried desperately to communicate his intentions. Bailey seemed to get the hint and looked down at her half naked self. She looked again towards Gra before hesitantly taking off her sling and shirt. After they were removed she quickly covered herself in embarrassment. Gra rolled his eyes.

"Come here pup," he clicked and splashed the water some more. The chemicals tingled pleasantly over his reptilian skin.

Bailey inched forward until she was about a foot away from him and it wasn't until then that they both realized she was too small to get in by herself. The Arbitrator gave an audible sigh before reaching out his arms. He waited as Bailey studied him with a fierce distrust before stepping closer. Carefully he grasped her chunky hips and lifted. He felt her stiffen but she didn't fight, she wanted so desperately to get clean Bailey almost cried out in joy as the strange water-like liquid touched her toes.

That is, until it started burning.

With an earth shattering screech Bailey kicked out at the sudden sensation, sloshing liquid onto Gra as well as landing a solid kick to his abdomen. The blow didn't hurt, it actually kind of tickled, but it surprised Gra enough to nearly drop the flailing child.

"What now?!" he roared in frustration and tried to lower her back into the bath, but Bailey flung her bottom half upwards and wrapped herself around his arm. She constricted like boa when he tried to shake her loose.

"The chemicals," Nar'kili stated as he came to stand by his fellow yautja, and Gra nearly jumped in surprise. He'd forgotten the doctor was even in the room. "They're too harsh for her skin. She is suffering," he said and motioned towards her dripping feet. She was wiggling the irritated toes and whimpering in pain. "I tried to warn you earlier."

"Then what do you propose we do about this?" Gra growled in annoyance.

"The only option is to dip her whole body at once. You know as well as I do the chemical's cleaning effects are immediate. Then all you have to do is quickly rinse her off. Nothing too complicated."

"And I will have to do this every time?" the larger yautja exclaimed in dismay, and Nar'kili nearly laughed at his whiny behavior. But he didn't. That would just make things worse for the ooman.

"Until she can do it herself, yes. But once on Prime be assured you can have some modifications done to your home to accommodate her. She is old enough to do such simple tasks when the circumstances are right."

He was of course referring to the too-large-tub that was small even by yautja standards, and Gra didn't like the idea of sharing his. So with a huff of reluctance Gra stared until Bailey met his eyes. He took an enormous breath and held it, then pointed to the water. He did it a couple more times until understanding lit up her eyes and was then immediately replaced by horror. She grasped harder and dug her nails into his skin to signal she was not willing to go through that pain again. This didn't deter Gra though as the only warning he gave to her impending doom was a slight pause before quickly plunging his entire arm into the tub. Breaking the surface Bailey gasped and let loose a sob. The chemicals burned her skin in a way she'd never experienced and her eyes squeezed tightly shut as she tried to fight the pain.

And just before she thought it couldn't get any worse it was gone. The pain was replaced with a soothing, cooling sensation and Bailey realized she was being rinsed with water, not chemicals. They were standing in the rinsing station as lukewarm water rained down on them both from the human-like shower head. And then Gra was touching her face, running the palm of his hand gently over her cheeks as he made quick work of rinsing the chemicals away. Setting her on her feet he began doing the same to her arms and legs. Bailey shivered a bit from the cold but let him take away the pain. After a moment the water cut off and she was suddenly engulfed in a soft towel. Gra dried her gently as one would any child and Bailey allowed the treatment. If it meant he wasn't going to hurt her, she would relent for now.

Unknown to the pair Nar'kili watched for a bit before slipping out. As he walked down the narrow halls he could not help the bemused lift of his mandibles.

If that was the tenderness Gra was willing to give to an ooman he supposedly 'hated', he couldn't wait to see what would happen if her actually 'liked' her.

**A/N: Phew! Got that done! Next chapter…Bailey interacting with other yautja!**


	6. Of Watermelons and Yautja

Bailey prodded the meat dish set before her with a disgusted sneer and shifted into a cross-legged position on the medical bed. Gra stood beside it quietly chewing his own fleshy dinner. They, or really just Gra, had been eating in silence for nearly fifteen minutes and Bailey wasn't sure how to convey her distaste for the food. It was purple and slimy and something Bailey wasn't sure her stomach could even handle. She didn't want to upset the monster but was unable to force herself to eat the raw, dripping meat. Nar'kili had chirped something a while ago and left the room leaving Bailey severely uncomfortable under Gra's unrelenting glare.

"_Ooman,"_ he growled and gestured to her plate. "Feed." The word was English but the lack of lips made it nearly unintelligible.

"I can't," she quietly replied, and her voice cracked painfully. It was the first word she'd spoken since he'd bathed her the other day. Though she wished she could eat it. Four days without food nearly made her want to risk the inevitable sickness.

Gra finished his meal by sloppily slurping up the remaining raw fat and licking his fingers clean. Bailey wanted to vomit.

"I'm back!" came the airy clicking of Nar'kili as he reentered the room. "Fruit for ooman," he spoke in English.

Bailey's mouth watered at the sight of an entire half of a watermelon and quickly snatched it up when the doctor offered. It was heavy and she nearly dropped it in her excitement but she couldn't have cared less. It was food! Gra watched in slight amusement as the child dove in like a starved animal, greedily chomping away and slurping the sugary treat with gusto. Her toes curled in pleasure as she worshipped the sustenance and nearly forgot to breathe in her haste to devour it.

"She can't eat this Gra," Nar'kili spoke as he grabbed the abandoned meat. "And not just because you're an awful cook."

Gra shot him a glare as the younger yautja stuffed his face. The jest was unnecessary. No proud yautja ate his meat cooked unless it was poisoned.

"You mean to tell me I will have to prepare meals for her?"

"Like I said before, given the right circumstances I'm sure she can take care of herself."

"Where did you even get this?" he asked and gestured to the watermelon.

"I took a walk through that last city we tracked the bad blood through. Sometimes you take too long with your hunts." Nar'kili wiped some blood from his mandible before chirping in amusement at Bailey. She was a sticky mess from nearly head to toe. "Looks like it's bath time again."

Gra only huffed.

XXXXX

After a quick rinse in the bathing chamber Bailey padded barefoot behind Gra as he stormed to the communications room. He'd somehow gotten through to Bailey that she should follow him everywhere he went, at least on the ship. This was just another trust exercise but he loathed the idea of his hunting brothers seeing the pest tailing him on Prime. He'd become a laughing stock for sure.

In fact, the reason he was going to the communications room was to stand there and be laughed at.

Once they arrived Gra pointed to a spot just out of sight of the monitors for Bailey to stand. Hesitantly she obeyed and Gra answered the call that had brought him there.

"Hello Gra."

The sickly sweet voice did nothing to hide its intended venom.

"Hello Kai'ne." Gra brought a fist to his chest and bowed. The female yautja failed to return the gesture of respect. "Is there something you needed?"

The forbidding female gazed at the warrior before her and Gra inwardly cursed himself for almost getting lost in it. She was a bitch, but she was a damn beautiful one. Her muscular figure was curvy and bountiful in all the right places. Flexing his hands a bit Gra forced his eyes away from the broad hips that could tease any yautja to the point of insanity. Instead he flicked them quickly to hers, trying hard not to admire the blinding orange that was her skin, peppered with black spots instead of the usual cream. In fact no cream was present, but it was extremely rare for a yautja's coloring to stray from the usual shades of green and white. Her entire torso was black, and to Gra it seemed like a void many warriors would gladly loose themselves in.

"I wish to see your ooman."

And by 'wish' she meant _demand_.

"Of course," he clicked with a respective nod, then he turned to bailey and motioned for her to stand by him.

Bailey nervously shortened the difference until she was staring into the eyes of a new brand of nightmare. The monster before her stared aggressively, teeth extremely sharp and eyes as cold as space. She couldn't help but stare back, frozen in fear and utterly entranced by the blue orbs. It wasn't until Gra lightly smack her head that she looked away.

"I hope you correct her soon Gra, I would hate for someone to mistake her innocent awe as a challenge," Kai'ne chuckled but didn't remove her eyes from the trembling ooman.

"It will be the first thing I teach her." _If not she'll end up dead,_ he thought morbidly.

"She's quite the porker isn't she?"

Gra's eye ridges came together at the metaphor. Why on earth would Kai'ne involve herself with ooman slang? The council member must have read his thoughts for her brief amusement darkened sadistically.

"You might want to change that soon as well; we wouldn't want somebody making a meal out of her now would we?"

Gra's eyes widened at the obvious threat and without thinking found himself growling out, "Are you threatening my property?" To which Kai'ne responded with a surprised smile.

"Is that a challenge?"

Gra instantly backed down as her words rang through his head. A challenge would have been suicide, and then who would have ensured the survival of the ooman?

"No Kai'ne, it was not," he began as an apology to diffuse the situation. "I'm sorry of my tone offended you."

Kai'ne nodded her approval before turning her gaze back to the ooman. The larger yautja chuckled inwardly as she caught the young pup sneaking glances at her. Waiting until she was looking again Kai'ne gave the child a small wave. Bailey was shocked by the gesture and unconsciously began staring again. Lifting her chubby hand she shyly waved back and earned a smile from the forbidding monster. Or at least it looked like she was smiling. Behind her Gra watched in awe at the gentleness Kai'ne was displaying. Was this really the ruthless huntress he'd known for nearly all of his life?

Meeting her eyes Gra had begun to speak but was cut off by the female's sudden smirk.

"She won't last long."

And then the screen went blank.

**A/N: Okay, I accidentally lied. Bailey didn't get to the main ship in this chapter, but she will in the next! I promise! I just kinda wanted to get this chapter posted.**


	7. When Angels Cry

**A/N: Okay! Some gross things are coming up (which really they're not that bad at all) but it needs to be done. I really want to show all the adjustments Bailey needs to make to live in the Yautja world, and I know a lot of other stories don't really address these things. So there!**

Gra stared at the blank screen in shock at Kai'ne's parting words. Had that been a threat or a warning? He knew Kai'ne wouldn't go after the ooman directly. The action would surely get her kicked off the council because killing a pup of any species would defile her honor. So what was she planning? Making his charge's life a living hell? He knew she could do it, and if the ooman perished so would his honor. Kai'ne truly was the master of sadistic mind games.

A small tug at his loincloth ripped Gra from his troubled mind. Bailey stood beside him in tears as she stood restlessly with her legs crossed. He stared confusedly as she grabbed the front of the shorts she was wearing and began bobbing up and down. It wasn't until she started whimpering that he realized she needed to relieve herself. Up until now she hadn't used their 'bathroom' out of fear, but now that she trusted him enough Bailey desperately wanted to avoid any more messes.

She couldn't hold it much longer though.

With lightning speed Gra picked Bailey up by her armpits and held her at arm's length so she wouldn't pee on him. Bailey hissed a bit in pain but didn't complain as the yautja began running through the halls and to the relief station. Once they entered the room Bailey noted that it held only a single 'toilet' and nothing else. Rushing over to it Gra had to pause. The seat that acted as a 'toilet' was square in shape, metal and much too large for Bailey to sit on without falling in. Bailey noticed it too and gave him a pitiful look that clearly stated she couldn't hold it anymore. With a frustrated growl Gra held her in one arm to rip off her shorts and then held her as he did before over the square hole. Lifting her legs as much as she could Bailey began to cry in embarrassment as she started to go.

Gra politely averted his eyes and mentally added 'human toilet' to the list of all the renovations he'd need to apply to his home.

XXXXX

"Wow! You sure are dedicated now!" trilled Nar'kili as he tried desperately to contain his laughter after Gra relayed the tale. They were sitting in the communications room after Gra had put Bailey to bed.

"I didn't want to have to clean up the floor," he defended bitterly. "I've never raised a pup before; I have no idea what I'm doing!"

Nar'kili wiped a mirth filled tear from his eye before laying a warm hand on Gra's shoulder.

"None of us do Gra," he stated gently. "It's not our place."

The larger yautja stiffened at the statement. It was frowned upon for a male of their species to raise their young, but this was one tradition Gra didn't quite agree with. He'd hated his mother; she had been cold and unloving. The only thing she gave him was nourishment from her breast before kicking him off and into the unforgiving world. It wasn't necessarily an _extremely_ rare occurrence but it happened, and it had happened to him. At a certain age young yautja pups were sent to train and become warriors but his mother had forgone the love and nurturing stage in favor of a new pup, therefore leaving Gra out in the cold prematurely. Most pups didn't survive this neglect, and those who did normally became bad bloods. But Gra was different. He'd been stronger. He'd risen above the instinctual aggression that came with that age and controlled it, molded it into his passion for the hunt, and his determination landed him the position of Arbitrator. He was equally feared by those below him and respected by those above him. It had been hard, but it had been worth it. The only downside was that he seemed to be a permanent grump.

"You'll have to learn soon," Gra began after a moment. "Keela will make sure of it."

"We're halfway there," Nar'kili chuckled as he lazily watched one of the monitors. "I can't wait to see her."

"Will she be there?" Gra asked his companion.

Nar'kili's mandibles lifted a bit but didn't remove his gave from the screen.

"No, she's on Prime. She's too far along to meet us sooner."

"Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl?" he continued to question, silently enjoying how his partner's eyes lit up with pride.

"I honestly don't care; I just hope it's healthy."

Gra nodded and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder just as Nar'kili had done to him before. Though Gra didn't necessarily have friends, he knew much more about Nar'kili than what an acquaintance should. Comforting wasn't really his forte, but he was going to try.

"She's your life mate; she will love anything you give her," Gra softly assured.

Nar'kili blinked away a few unshed tears before turning his head away fully.

"I hope so."

XXXXX

Bailey lay on the medical bed and stared blankly through the darkness before shifting onto her back and fanning the collar of her shirt. This place was so hot! Sighing she sat up, giving up on sleep for the moment and raised her knees up to her chin. Small tears stung her eyes for the second time that day and probably the hundredth time her entire stay. The hope that all this was a dream was dead now. In fact, her hope for getting away at all was nearly dead as well. How long has it been since she last saw Elijah? Bailey clenched her eyes at the thought. And what about her parents? Dad was dead, mom probably was too. She choked back a sob and grasped her calves tightly, finger nails digging painfully into her skin and nearly drawing blood. They were dead, her parents were dead, deaddeaddeaddead-

Bailey screamed into her thighs and rocked back and forth. She screamed until her voice was hoarse and then screamed some more. Her face was hot and wet and she was slightly suffocating in her hunched form but she just couldn't bring herself to care. This wasn't the first time she'd cried like this since she'd been taken and it probably wouldn't be the last. She missed her parents, her brother, her _home_.

Falling onto her side she cried until the next morning.

And the next.

And the next.

**A/N: Okay, this was the LAST time I lied! I SWEAR next time we'll finally get some more characters in. I know the chapters have been pretty short but I felt the need to end it here.**


End file.
